From Quanie Miller : The New Mrs. Collins

13 Oct From Quanie Miller : The New Mrs. Collins

So, I’m a big fan of Quanie’s writing. The first book I read of hers, a romantic comedy (It’s Not Easy Being Jazzy) made me laugh, and laugh, and laugh until I cried.

And then, I heard she had a new book coming out, and I was like “Yes!”. Then, I heard that it was a southern paranormal, and I was like “A WHET?!” No, seriously… WHET?! So, after I looked up what that was, I excited still, but apprehensive. I knew to expect quality writing, but I’m not typically a reader of paranormal.

And then I read the first page. And then the first chapter. And then the next five, and this book is soooo well written, and sooo gloriously interesting and creepy and different and good that I read it in one sitting, and then when I got to the end…. I was like….

’cause the ending…. have mercy. Seriously, this was a really, really good book, absolutely a five star recommended read.

Leena is likable from the first pages, and easy to root for, but not in a superficial way. Like… you for real want her to. She NEEDS to win, because… evil, lol. And Adira (speaking of evil) is such a wonderfully awful antagonist. Love the way the point of views are weaved, love the blending of past with present, love the way that as I read, I sometimes felt the hair raise on my arm, or had to make sure the room was very well lit! Excellent, excellent job!

I did receive an advance copy of the book, but it was not in exchange for a review. This opinion is totally my own, regarding a great piece of writing!

In the small town of Carolville, Louisiana, no one knows that Adira Collins inherited mystic powers from her great grandmother. All they know is that she’s beautiful, poised, graceful, and ruthless—especially when it comes to love. And no one knows that more than Leena Williams, who was all set to marry the man of her dreams until Adira swooped into town and stole the man’s heart.

Being left at the altar is bad enough, but Leena and her ex share custody of their son, so she has to see the new Mrs. Collins on a regular basis.

And it burns every time she does.

But soon, Leena starts to suspect that there is more to Adira Collins than meets the eye. And it’s not because she owns some kinky lingerie shop or allegedly insulted the pastor’s wife—it’s the strange way she can make a door close without touching it, or take one look at something and make it drop dead at her feet.

Leena starts digging for answers and soon discovers that, unlike her public persona, Adira’s true nature is somewhere on the other side of grace. She also learns, a little too late, that some secrets are better left buried.

Excerpt

Sister Jenkins looked around Leticia’s house and found a can of gasoline in the garage. She grabbed a pack of matches from a utility drawer, and without saying a single word, walked out of that house and headed towards Auburn Lane. It was night when she finally got there. When she looked back, she noticed that the other women had followed her. She poured the gasoline liberally onto the grass and lit the match. The fire was quick and lovely. Sister Jenkins stood there with the can of gasoline dangling from her pinky as she watched the fire waltz its way towards the Collins household.

It was not long before the door opened. Adira came out into the yard and fixed her gaze upon Sister Jenkins and the other women before turning her attention to the flames. Sister Jenkins backed away and was just about to tell the other women to do the same when something extraordinary happened: Adira stuck out one finger and the fire formed a single line. She wrapped it around her forefinger and, like a lasso, whipped it back out and sent it chasing after the women who stood in front of her home. It was not until Willemena screamed that her foot was on fire that they realized what was actually happening and fled from there with the fire licking at their heels. By the time the police came and arrested them for arson, Butter Bean complained that her scalp was now itching so badly that she begged the police officers to please, for the love of God, shoot her in the head.

Author Bio

Quanie Miller grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. She fell in love with reading at an early age and spent most of her time at the Iberia Parish Library discovering authors like R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike (she was often found walking back home from the library with a stack of books that went up to her chin). She holds degrees from Louisiana State University and San Jose State University. She has been the recipient of the James Phelan Literary Award, the Louis King Thore Scholarship, the BEA Student Scriptwriting Award, and the Vicki Hudson Emerging Writing Prize. She is the author of The New Mrs. Collins, a southern paranormal novel, and It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy, a romantic comedy. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and is currently, as always, working on another novel. To find out more about Quanie and her works in progress visit quanietalkswriting.com.

This is an awesome review! Thanks for the warning about reading in a well lit room… Like you, paranormal fiction is not a genre I usually read, but Quanie’s other book was so much fun to read, I HAD to get this one too. Congrats Quanie!

Okay, Mrs. Jones, I thoroughly enjoyed this review. It was so much fun to read I had to share it with the masses (via facebook and twitter). I, too, am not a paranormal reader, but after reading this review of Quanie’s work, how can I not read this book. And when I’m done I’m sure this blog and that photo image above will come to mind when I find myself saying, “Dis Tew Much.”

The cover alone (fantastic cover!) had already sold me on reading this book when I first saw it on Quanie’s blog, but now your review has sealed the deal. Well done.